Understand The Rights Of Nursing Home Residents

Nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse are extremely dangerous, primarily because nursing home residents are usually frail or in poor health, to begin with, and they may be unable to defend themselves. We trust the care of our elderly loved ones to nursing homes because we want what is best for them; we want them to receive the specialized, constant care that they need. The last thing they deserve is to be treated with neglect or abuse.

One of the best ways to ensure that your loved one will receive the care that they need and not be mistreated in a nursing home is to employ the services of a home that is very clear and transparent with its treatment of residents. There are federal guidelines that establish the ways in which nursing homes must prohibit the mistreatment of residents, including the development and implementation of written policies to ensure such abuse or neglect does not occur.

In addition to the written policies of the nursing home, which the resident is to be made aware of both upon admission and throughout the residence, there are other rights that nursing home residents should not be denied. These include rights such as the ability to see family members, the use of personal possessions and clothing, equal treatment, confidentiality, and much, much more.

If at any point your loved one is denied these rights, you should investigate the care they are receiving and consider taking legal action. Consulting with an attorney can give you a better understanding of how the law treats nursing home negligence, and can also help you receive compensation for any mistreatment your loved one received in the nursing home’s care.